how to write resume education section

Correct: If you held leadership positions in clubs or other extra-curricular activities, this can be useful information to include to highlight non-paid leadership or management experience.

Keep your descriptions simple and concise

Incorrect: Including long-winded and wordy paragraphs explaining the relevance of a certain piece of information. If a piece of information is relevant, it should be easily explained in one, simple sentence.

Correct: Use bullet points to separate bits of information to keep your resume easy to read or skim.

The readability of a resume can be the defining factor of whether or not a job recruiter or potential employer moves the candidate into the next phase of the hiring process.

As such, using clear and concise wording and formatting is essential for not just the education section, but for all sections.

Here are a few tips for different formatting options depending on the level and type of education you have completed.

1) Adding High School and GED on Resume

2) Adding Associate’s and Bachelor’s Degrees on Resume

3) Adding Graduate School or Doctoral Programs on Resume

4) Adding Certifications on Resume

5) Listing Incomplete Education on Resume

Incomplete education can be tricky to include in a way that sounds positive — as such, if you have incomplete education, be wary of your wording and avoid words such as “incomplete” or “unfinished.” Instead try to do the following:

However, we've seen this be a common problem that many candidates have. Continue reading below to see how to effectively list education that is left incomplete. ‍

In some cases, a job applicant may have a partially-complete or incomplete educational credential they want to list on their resume.

Incomplete education can result from a variety of circumstances, including:

When listing incomplete education on a resume, it is important to stay highly mindful of how you are wording your limited educational credentials — as words such as “ unfinished ” or “ incomplete ” are not ideal to include within a resume.

Here are some quick examples on how to properly list incomplete education in the education section of a resume:

For applicants who are in the process of completing a degree, it is important to note the expected timeframe of completion.

Incorrect: ‍ B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Not yet complete

Correct: B.S. in Communications University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC Expected graduation May 2021

For applicants who began a degree, but ultimately did not complete the degree, it is key to be mindful of how you frame the education you did receive.

Incorrect: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC

Why is this incorrect? Sure, this example indicates you, at some point, attended a university.

However, it provides no insight as to what relevant coursework or studies you may have completed.

Here's the correct way to describe your educational experience instead:

Correct: University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, NC Completed 20 credits towards a BS in Communications

Alternatively: This could be a good opportunity to include a bulleted list of relevant coursework.

For applicants who did not complete high school, it is important to note if you either earned a GED or are in the process of earning a GED.

Incorrect: ‍ Watauga County High School Boone, NC Incomplete

Correct: General Educational Development Diploma Earned May 2021 — OR — Expected to earn May 2021

Generally speaking, the majority of jobs will require applicants to have earned at minimum a GED certification in order to qualify.

In some cases, an applicant may lack a degree but may be certified by a trade school.

For instance, a beautician would want to include any beauty and health related certifications or licenses earned under the education section.

Take a look at this resume example of a college student below to see how to do this.

Where to Include Education on a Resume

When it comes to placing your educational credentials on a resume, there are many considerations to make.

Resumes can serve a variety of purposes and, as a general rule of thumb, should be tailored for specific jobs .

It is also important to take into consideration the level of education you have completed, as this will impact how it should be presented as well.

For instance, a job applicant seeking a position in academia would have a much heavier emphasis on education and academic-related achievements — than someone seeking a job in a corporate environment.

Ultimately, not all resumes are the same, so the placement of the education section will differ depending on the type of resume being used and the intention behind its structuring.

Choosing the right resume format

There are several different types of resume formats to choose from, but the main ones that are used are as follows:

1) Reverse-Chronological

‍ Emphasis is placed on the most relevant work experience, listing jobs from most recent to oldest. Education can be placed before or after the work experience section. However higher degrees that qualify a candidate for the position may be beneficial to mention sooner rather than later.

2) Functional

‍ Functional resumes place a much heavier emphasis on skillsets and areas of expertise. This format of resume is typically used by job applicants lacking the relevant work experience or educational credentials. In this format, the education section may lead if the applicant has educational credentials but limited work experience but should follow after the skills section if education is limited.

‍ Hybrid resumes combine the reverse-chronological work experience ordering with the emphasizing of skills. This can help to supplement resumes of applicants who may have some relevant work experience but still need to beef up their resumes with a skills section . The placement of the education section will depend on how applicable or high level the credentials are and should generally be kept brief.

4) Curriculum Vitae (CV)

‍ CVs are a type of long-form and multi-page resume used most commonly by applicants seeking positions in either academic or scientific fields. In a CV, the education section will be a prominent component and should appear early in the document. This type of education section should include all credentials, published works, projects, awards, or other academic achievements — no details should be spared.

The below example of a Physician Assistant's resume is listing education in the bottom-right corner as it's using a reverse-chronological resume format to shine on it's work history.

Employers can gather a variety of information about a job candidate from an education section, including:

Understanding what employers are looking for in an education section included on a resume is key to understand how much or how little information to include.

What an employer is looking for will vary depending on the nature of the job being offered.

For instance, an entry-level communications job at a corporation is likely to require a bachelor’s degree in communications or a related field.

Comparatively, a job in the welding industry may require the completion of a trade school program but not require a four-year degree.

It is of the utmost importance when you are applying to various jobs that you read the job descriptions provided carefully, as this is where you will find the necessary information regarding what educational credentials are required of eligible candidates.

This will also help you to tailor your education section according to what credentials or qualifications you have that meet the requirements of the job.

In general, what an employer is mostly looking for is simply that an education section exists on a resume.

The majority of employers will want candidates who have shown a commitment to their education, reflected through the inclusion of an education section.

For candidates lacking a completed education, it is still considered best practice to include some information regarding what level of education was reached before the point of incompletion, as well as the inclusion of any relevant coursework and knowledge gained from the time the candidate spent pursuing further education.

Here is a quick rundown of a few key factors to consider for applicants who may be unsure how much information to provide in an education section for a specific employer or position:

Final Thoughts

Unless you are crafting a longer-form resume, such as a CV, the education section will generally be a fairly short summary of your academic credentials and achievements.

Education sections can be longer in some cases where job applicants may have hefty academic backgrounds but limited work experience.

Ultimately, the key to making a strong education section is to include only the most relevant information.

Always avoid deceptive wording, as employers can fairly easily run academic background checks if need be.

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How to List Education on Resume [25+ Examples & Expert Tips]

I had an interview yesterday and the first thing they said on the phone was: “Wow! I love your resume.” Patrick I love the variety of templates. Good job guys, keep up the good work! Dylan My previous resume was really weak and I used to spend hours adjusting it in Word. Now, I can introduce any changes within minutes. Absolutely wonderful! George

1. Why is a Resume Education Section Important?

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How to List Education on a Resume

Learn how to highlight your education to make your resume shine.

[Featured image] A woman adds an education section to her resume.

Education is an important section to include on your resume, as it helps potential employers build a picture of your qualifications for the job. Some roles may even require a particular degree, and your resume is the best place to show that you have it.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to format the education section of your resume (and where you should position it), as well as walk through some specific educational situations.

How to format your education section

There’s more than one way to format your education section, depending on the amount of work experience you have and what details may be most relevant to the job you’re applying for. For each school you have attended, consider including some combination of the following (always include the three bolded items):

School name

Degree obtained

Dates attended or graduation date

Field of study (major and minors)

GPA if it was above 3.5

Honors, achievements, relevant coursework, extracurricular activities, or study abroad programs

Here are some tips to keep in mind as you format this section of your resume:

List in reverse chronological order.

Rank your highest degrees first and continue in reverse chronological order. And remember, when ranking your educational achievements, it’s not necessary to list your high school graduation if you have completed a college degree. If you haven't completed college, list your high school education.

Make it relevant.

Employers want to see that your education meets the requirements listed in their job post. They will also look to see that you have the certifications they require for the job. Study the job listing for the role you’re applying for to help guide what to highlight. Make sure to include anything listed under the “requirements” or “education” sections of a job listing.

If you’re applying for a nursing job, for example, you may be required to have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). Since the field of study is key, you may choose to list your degree first and institution second, like this:

Bachelor of Science in Nursing, 2019

Arizona State University | Tempe, AZ

If your degree isn’t particularly relevant to the job but you graduated from a prestigious university, consider listing the institution name first:

Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, 2006-2010

Consider your work experience.

In general, the more work experience you have, the less detail you’ll need to include in this section. If you just graduated, for example, you may choose to include your GPA and highlight that you were the president of the National Honor Society (particularly if you’re applying for a job where leadership skills are important). If you’ve been in the workforce for several years, the school name, location, and degree will likely suffice.

If you graduated more than five years ago, consider leaving off your graduation date to help avoid age discrimination.

Keep your formatting consistent.

While there are many different ways to format the contents of your education, consistency between each is key. Once you decide on a format, stick with it for your entire resume.

Keep it concise.

In many cases, the education section should be one of the shortest on your resume.

How to handle unique education situations

While many resumes will have straightforward education sections, some will have an incomplete or complex education history. Thankfully, there are easy ways to ensure that your resume showcases your positive qualities and qualifications.

Incomplete education

If your resume will include any incomplete education, it’s important to avoid words like “unfinished” or “incomplete” that could cast a negative shadow over your qualifications.

If you’re in the process of completing your degree, include your expected graduation date. This lets employers know that you are still working on your degree while avoiding any confusion or misrepresentation of your qualifications. For example:

University of Michigan

BS in Computer Science candidate

Expected to graduate in 2023

If you’re wondering how to list education on your resume when you don’t have a degree, there’s a format for that, too. Say you’ve completed part of a degree, but do not intend to finish. You can still use it on your resume. List the number of credit hours completed toward a degree in place of graduation date, and include any courses relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Completed 30 credit hours toward a BS in Computer Science

Relevant coursework: Web development, Object-oriented programming, Agile software projects

If you have not attended college but have completed trade school or a certification program, it’s good to include that information under the education section of your resume. Listing certifications as a graduate can be beneficial, too. This shows employers that you are continually learning and staying up to date with trends and technology.

Complex education

Whether you attended multiple schools to earn one degree or earned multiple degrees from multiple schools, listing your education is only as complex as its formatting.

Attending a few different colleges before landing at the one you graduated from does not mean you have to list every school. Employers are mainly interested in the school from which your degree was earned. It is, however, a good idea to list every school that you have received a degree from.

If you have earned multiple degrees at the same level, you should list all of them. In terms of order, it is okay to list either your most recent or most relevant first.

Where to place your education section

Where you place the education section on your resume depends on a few different factors: your education history, your work history, and the job for which you are applying.

If you are a recent graduate with minimal work history, it’s appropriate to list your education first. Education will be your more impressive section, and you’ll want it to be the first seen when employers are viewing your application.

If you are pursuing a job that requires a particular degree or credential, you should also list your education first. Employers will be interested in making sure you have those certifications before moving forward with your resume.

If you’ve been working for several years, your work history is likely more relevant than your education history, so it may make sense to list it first. This is particularly true if the field of study of our degree isn’t particularly relevant to the job or industry you’re targeting.

Resume vs. curriculum vitae

If you’re applying for a PhD or research program or a job in academia, you may be asked to submit a curriculum vitae, or CV, instead of a resume. If this is the case, your education section should come before your work experience. CVs are generally longer than resumes, so you can include your complete academic history, including all certifications and achievements.

Next steps

A resume is an important document intended to organize and exemplify your education history, work experience, qualifications, and skills. Don’t forget to include your completed Coursera courses or certificates to your resume. For more resume writing tips, take Writing Winning Resumes and Cover Letters from the University of Maryland.

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What to Include in the Education Section of a Resume

Alison Doyle is one of the nation’s foremost career experts.

Resume Education Section Template

Education section examples.

What's the best way to include your education on your resume? In the education section of your resume, list the schools you attended, the degrees you attained, your GPA if you're a student or a recent graduate, and any special awards and honors you earned.

You should tailor the education section of your resume to fit your circumstances, including whether or not you're still a student, and the nature of any academic achievements you've accrued. By including the right information, you can impress your employer and secure an interview.

What to Include in the Education Section of Your Resume

Here's an overview of what to include when you're adding education to your resume.

School and degree. The essential information to include in the education section are your degree(s) and the schools you attended.

Major and minor. You can also give more specific information, including your major and minor, as well as the year you graduated, although the latter is not required.

Your GPA. Include your grade-point average (GPA) if you're currently a student or are 1-2 years out of school and your GPA is strong (about 3.0-3.5 or higher, depending on your major). You may also want to consider including your in-major GPA if it's higher than your overall GPA.

Honors and awards. Include any honors or awards you have received in school. These can range from Latin honors (such as cum laude or magna cum laude ) to dean’s list and other awards.

You can also include extracurricular clubs, charitable groups, or Greek organizations where you were active and/or held a leadership role.

Certifications, continuing education, and professional development. Include any professional development courses and certifications. You can list any licenses you have unless you have a separate section of your resume where you include this information.

Where to Put the Education Section of Your Resume

Current students, recent college graduates, or career changers may want to put the education section towards the top of their resume. This is because students typically have limited work experience and want to highlight academic success.

If you have been out of school for at least a couple of years, you can move this section to the bottom of your resume. By this time, you have enough work experience to highlight that you don’t need to rely on your education.

Tips for the Education Section of Your Resume

Consider subsections. If you have a lot of information to include in the education section of your resume, consider breaking this section into subsections. The main section might include your schools and degrees, and then you can have other sections such as “Awards and Honors,” “Certifications,” and “Professional Development.” If you held a leadership role in a school-affiliated organization (such as a club, sport, or Greek organization), you could list that below the "Awards and Honors" line.

Provide specifics (if useful). If the sub-college of your university is well known and relevant (e.g., say you graduated from the hospitality school of your university and are applying for a job in hospitality), you can include that before you include your university name. For example, you could write, “School of Hospitality, XYZ College.”

When you can leave out your GPA. If you're a student or recent graduate and your GPA wasn’t great, but you have other accolades, you can leave the GPA out and put something else, like “XYZ Award Recipient” unless the employer requires a minimum GPA. Once you've been out of school for few years, you can take your GPA out of your resume altogether.

You can leave out high school (after a while). Once you've been in college for a year or so (or once you're in some other sort of continuing education), you can leave your high school degree and GPA out of your resume. However, you should mention your high school diploma (or GED ) if it is your highest degree.

When you can leave out your graduation date. You aren't required to list your graduation date on your resume—but if your degree was earned over 10 - 15 years ago or you're an older job seeker, it's a good idea to omit the date you graduated.

Tell the truth. It's very easy for an employer to confirm whether or not the education information in your resume is true or not. If they have requested a copy, they can simply check your transcript . If you're not happy with your GPA, leave it out, but don’t make it up. Be honest.

If you're a college student or graduate and unsure about what details to include in your resume, check with your career services office for guidance.

You can use the following template to help structure the education section of your resume. Keep in mind that you can change and remove any of this information to fit your own circumstances and the job for which you're applying.

EDUCATION SECTION

College Name Year of graduation Degree, major, and minor GPA

Awards and Honors Include any academic achievements here, including Latin honors, honors within your major, and more.

Certifications Include any professional or educational certifications you've received.

Professional Development Include any professional development experiences, including courses (both online and in person) and seminars. You might also mention here if you're a member of any relevant professional organizations. If you hold a position within the organization, mention that as well.

Resume Education Section Example #1

Huntown College May 2021 Bachelor of Arts in English, department honors 3.8 GPA

Resume Education Section Example #2

EDUCATION XYZ College Bachelor of Arts in Journalism

Awards and Honors Summa cum laude ABC Award for outstanding journalism major

Certifications Level 1 Strategic Communication Certification

Professional Development Conference Coordinator, XYZ Journalism Association of America

Virginia Tech. " Should I Include My GPA on My Resume? " Accessed Sept. 15, 2021.

CareerOneStop. " Education ." Accessed Sept. 15, 2021.

CollegeGrad. " Should You Include Your GPA on Your Entry Level Resume? " Accessed Sept. 15, 2021.

CNBC. " This is the Age When You Should Remove Your Graduation Year From Your Resume ." Accessed Sept. 15, 2021.

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How to List Education on Your Resume: Section Guide & Examples

The education section is an essential part of your resume. But figuring out what information to put in it and where to place it on the page can be confusing. Below, we break down how to make the best education section for your situation.

hero image highlighting the education section of a resume.

Your education section is an essential part of your resume, especially if you’re a student or recent graduate. But knowing what information to include to fully communicate your qualifications and where to put this section can be confusing.

In this article, we’ll walk through each step of listing education on your resume and provide some examples you can follow.

How to list education on your resume

Watch the video below where our career expert Eva shows you exactly how to list your education on your resume, with helpful tips and examples.

Here’s exactly how to list education on your resume in a way that highlights your most marketable qualifications:

Decide what to include in your education section

There are a few standard details you should always include in your resume education section. These are your:

Beyond this basic information, there are additional details you can include if you want to highlight some of your relevant academic achievements.

Here’s some optional information to consider listing in your education section:

Remember that you should only list information that’s relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, only mention relevant coursework in your resume’s education section if the course topic is related to the job you’re applying to.

Put your education in the right part of your resume

Once you’ve decided what information to highlight in your education section, you need to decide where on your resume to put it.

Although your resume’s formatting might sound unimportant, where you place your education section in relation to the other parts of your resume helps emphasize (or de-emphasize) your educational background. This is why choosing the right resume format is crucial to send out the right message and make a good impression on a potential employer.

Are you a recent college graduate , are currently pursuing a degree, or lack relevant professional experience but have a degree related to the job you want? Then your education should be featured toward the top of your resume, above your resumes work experience section .

Here’s an example of a resume with the education section featured near the top:

An example of a resume with the education section at the top

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Have more than a couple of years of relevant work experience? List your education below your work experience section. For 99%+ of jobs, your education is less relevant to your ability to do the job than your hands-on work experience.

Here’s an example of a resume with the education section featured below the professional experience section:

An example of where to list the education section on a resume.

If you’re still confused about how and where to list your education, you can save time and effort by using a free resume builder . Resume builders are designed to do the formatting work for you, quickly providing you with a resume that suits your experience and education levels.

Format your education section properly

There are numerous ways to properly format your resume’s education section. The most important thing is that you list all necessary information clearly.

For example, you should always bold the most important information in your education section to help it stand out. For most people, this is the name of their school or their degree title .

Here are a couple examples of how to properly list education on your resume:

May 2017 New York University, New York, NY Bachelor of Arts, Communications

New York University, New York, NY B.A., Communications, May 2017

Additionally, if you want to list a double major on your resume , make sure the most relevant major comes first.

Here’s an example of how to format your education section with additional information:

May 2017 New York University, New York, NY Bachelor of Arts, Communications Honors: Cum laude (GPA: 3.8/4.0) Dean’s List for 4 semesters

Thesis : Teenagers, Texting, and Interpersonal Relationships Relevant Coursework : Language and Identity, Media and Values, Mass Media Law Active member of the Wagner Student Association and the NYU Arts and Culture Network

7 resume education section examples

Still not sure what your education section should look like on your resume? Here are seven different examples that demonstrate the different ways you can format your education section.

High school student

If you’re a high school student or don’t have a higher education degree, you should list your high school education on your resume.

Here’s an example of how to list your diploma if you’re:

Currently in school

An example of current high school education listed on your resume

College student/recent graduate

If you’re currently in or graduated from university, you should always include your degree on your resume. Even if it’s not relevant to the job you want, a college degree is often a requirement for professional-level positions.

An example of current college education listed on a resume

Graduate student (master’s)

Here’s an example of how to list a master’s degree on your resume:

An example of an MBA listed in a resume education section

Doctorate student (PhD)

If you’re applying for positions that require a PhD , you should make sure to include your dissertation in addition to when you earned your degree. Here’s an example of how to include a doctoral degree on your resume:

An example of a PhD listed in a resume education section

Working professional education section

If you’ve already entered the workforce and have a few years of experience, your education section should be short and to the point, like this:

An example of an education section from a working professional

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Written by Conrad Benz

Conrad Benz is a Digital Media Specialist & Resume Expert at Resume Genius, where he helps countless job-seekers craft standout resumes and launch their careers. His... more

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Put Your Education to Work on Your Resume

Your resume education section seems like it should be the easiest thing to write—just list your school, program of study, degree, and date, and you’re done. However, it’s not so straightforward for many job seekers. Unsure about the best way to present your education ? On resume templates, you’ll find a few ways to best display your credentials. We laid out some common scenarios, examples, and strategies below to help you determine the best way to look smart.

Where to place your resume education section

The best placement depends on what employers would value more: your experience or education. There’s no set rule for where to put it, but here are a few guidelines.

Place experience before education if:

You have several years of experience related to your goal. Hiring managers will likely be more interested in your work-related accomplishments than your education.

Place experience after education if:

Experienced job seekers

If you’re focusing more on experience than education, list the basic facts regarding your degree, including institution name, location, degree, and major. Date is optional if it’s been a few years since you earned your degree. For example:

Tufts University—Medford, MA | Bachelor of Science, Major in Economics

For specialized fields and certification programs, list information about the program that might interest employers, such as accreditation, intensity level, and number of program hours completed. For example:

Technical Institute of America—New York, NY Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Accredited Training Completed 40-hour bootcamp | Passed CISSP exam on first try

Students and new grads

Students and new grads with little related work experience may use the education section as the centerpiece of their resumes, showcasing academic achievements, extracurricular activities, special projects, and courses. For example:

University of Alabama—Tuscaloosa, AL B.A. in Advertising, 12/2019

If you’re a student or recent graduate, list your GPA if it’s 3.0 or higher. Consider including a lower GPA if you’re in a challenging program. If your school doesn't use the standard 4.0 scale, avoid confusion by listing the scale (e.g. GPA: 4.1/4.5). As your career progresses, GPA becomes less important and can be removed.

If you’re a student or recent graduate and your GPA is on the low side, calculate your major GPA and include it if it’s higher than your overall GPA. If it’s still pretty low, omit it—avoid including information that could hurt your chances of securing an interview.

Honors and honor societies

Include academic honors to show you excelled in your program. For example:

Baruch College—New York, NY B.B.A. in Accounting, magna cum laude, GPA: 3.85, June 2020 Beta Alpha Psi, Dean’s List (all semesters)

Degree incomplete

If you started and abandoned a program but you still want to include it, list the number of credits completed or the type of study undertaken. For example:

Michigan State University, College of Music Completed 3/4 of requirements toward a Bachelor of Music in Music Education

Degree underway

If you’re still in school, it’s helpful for the hiring manager to see your expected degree date or progress. For example:

MBA candidate, degree expected 6/2022 B.S. in Computer Science program, completed 106/120 credits

Multiple degrees

If you have more than one degree, lead with the most recent and go back in time. For example:

Hofstra University—Hempstead, NY M.A. in Journalism, 12/2019

Adelphi University—Garden City, NY B.A. in Communications, Journalism and Public Relations Concentrations, 6/2017

Nassau Community College—Garden City, NY A.A.S., Business-Marketing, 6/2015

You may also omit older degrees that aren’t as important as new ones.

High school information

Include your high school or GED information if you don’t have any college credits. If you have college credits, you can remove references to high school.

No degree, strong training

If your field values a degree that you don’t have, training may come to the rescue. List your related courses, seminars, conferences, and other training in the education section. For example:

Professional development:

No education

If you don’t have any education , training, certifications, or licenses, that’s okay—the education section isn’t relevant to you and you can skip it. Use the other resume sections to highlight your value proposition.

Get smart about your resume

Still not sure your resume gets a passing grade? Get a free resume evaluation today from the experts at Monster's Resume Writing Service . You'll get detailed feedback in two business days, including a review of your resume's appearance and content, and a prediction of a recruiter's first impression. Think of it as part of your continuing education.

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Perfecting the Education Section on Your Resume

Why featuring education on your resume is a must

What should my education section look like, general tips for your education section, perfecting the education section on your resume.

When it comes to writing your resume, featuring education is often essential to getting you hired.

It isn’t always clear how you can do that and what the best practices are.

Your level of experience has a massive effect on the way you showcase your education.

For example:

Entry-level candidates must draw attention to their educational background to appeal to recruiters. Seniors with decades of experience would often emphasize other sections.

Between this and that, there are differences you must know before making your resume.

Now, here’s something you should know:

If your education section isn’t making an impact, it’s won’t do you any favors. It must give answers that justify its’ existence on your resume.

That’s precisely why we created this comprehensive guide for you!

The expert advice we share here will help you no matter where you are in your career. We’ll teach you how to create an impactful education that gets you hired.

Let’s dive in.

If you’ve been frequenting the internet recently, you may have come across these ideas:

While some of that is enticing to hear, the reality of the situation tells us the opposite.

Unless you’re in a super creative field, the job market is still decades away from ditching formal schooling and college.

Education remains one of the top hiring factors in the majority of industries today.

The world is making a slow transition towards self-learning. Yet, most businesses are unwilling to take a risk and hire candidates with no educational background.

That’s even more true in traditional job positions such as finance and accounting, where formal education is more than necessary.

Now, here are five reasons why education will always be essential for your resume:

1- It serves as proof of competence

Many companies today are asking for an academic degree in their job offers.

That’ simply because…

Before hiring anyone, recruiters have to skim through a massive list of candidates. They need specific measures to choose from that list and make a well-informed hiring decision.

Being a brilliant student with a high GPA is a great way to stand out from the pack. It will help set you apart and quickly draw attention to your competence.

That’s even more true in entry-level positions where education is the main criteria for getting you hired.

2- It explains the gaps in your past

Believe it or not…

Many applicants lose job opportunities due to unexplained gaps in their resume — even if it was because of them going back to school!

You may wonder: But why wouldn’t the recruiter just ask me about the gap?

In a perfect world, they would.

But in their experience, the main explanation for an unemployment gap is unemployment. Headhunters will assume you’ve been unemployed and skip your resume — while the truth you were doing your best to advance in your career.

The point from all this is straightforward:

If you have any employment gaps due to school, including education is even more vital.

3- It increases job relevance

Showcasing your degree on your resume helps increase your relevance to the job position.

Although they won’t say it:

Recruiters will regard your educational background as an additional job experience.

They know you weren’t working in college. However, taking relevant classes allows you to learn the fundamentals of your work.

That’s another reason why businesses today prefer to hire candidates with a degree.

4- It highlights your hard work and longterm investment in your career

This point is super crucial, yet it’s often overlooked by lots of job seekers.

Recruiters prefer a hardworking candidate ready to be in for the long haul. They want someone who’ll go the extra mile to learn the ins and outs of the industry and help the business thrive.

What’s a better way to demonstrate that than showing how you’ve invested years of your life to attain a degree in your field?

Your educational degree proves your early commitment. It shows that you’re invested in your career and helps recruiters see why you’re the best.

5- It doesn’t hurt your chances anyways

Education is a crucial section that many headhunters expect to see in your resume, even if not asked for. Besides, it won’t take much space on the page and can be read within seconds.

So, you’ve got nothing to lose!

But here’s something to think about:

Imagine you were a recruiter with two candidates left on your desk. They have the same job experience, soft/technical skills, and are both ready to work with you.

One of them has a Bachelor’s degree, while the other one doesn’t.

It doesn’t take much thinking before you pick the applicant with an education.

You have everything to win.

The objective and impact of your education section will differ based on your circumstances. The detail required within your education section as a high-school student will be very different from when you’re a working professional with 10+ years of experience.

We’ve broken things down into four simple questions: what, where, how, and why.

Education Section As a High-School Student

The name of your school, the year you started at your school, and a brief description of classes and/or extra-curricular activities you’re involved in.

It’s no harm to include your GPA, too.

This depends on how much working experience you have. In general, your education section should be at the top of your resume, just under your resume header .

When describing classes you’ve taken, tailor them to the position you’re applying for.

If you’re applying for a role in retail and have taken classes in Business and Math, these would be particularly relevant. Languages classes would be relevant here, too. You can mention your individual grades in these classes.

When it comes to extracurricular activities you’re involved in, describe what you did, rather than what it was. For example, planted 300 trees as part of the environmental club. Simply listing that you’re a member of many clubs doesn’t mean very much.

Placing your education section near the top (beginning) of your resume is important as its one of the only formal records of work you have done.

This allows hiring managers to see your ability to perform real-world tasks and to pick up new skills.

Here’s an example Education Section for a high school student resume:

Enhancv Perfecting the Education Section on Your Resume Resume education section

Education Section as a College Student/Recent Graduate

Your university, the title of your degree, your GPA, any relevant courses you have taken or are taking, and the period of your studies.

If you have a couple years of work experience in your field, you can place your education after that. Otherwise, you must feature your education prominently near the top of your resume.

Simply because your recent graduation should explain your lack of experience. That will stop recruiters from wondering why you lack expertise or where you’ve been in the past years.

Consider separating extra-curricular activities into a volunteering section as college extracurriculars tend to include more of a dedication and skill-set than high-school equivalents.

Much like in a first job resume, tailor any classes you’ve taken to the position you’re applying to.

Giving insight into any software packages or skills you’ve developed over the course of your degree as a current student is also helpful here.

As a recent graduate, you should include your final grade and any information on your thesis or dissertation.

Your education is your base. Showing the recruiter where you have developed your academic skills allows them to judge your theoretical framework and get a peek into the areas you know best.

Recruiters won’t expect you to know the ins-and-outs of practical experience in a certain field. They simply want to know you’re starting with an understanding and not from scratch.

Here’s a resume template for a college student/recent graduate education section:

Education Section as An Experienced Professional

The university you studied at and its’ location, the title of your degree, and your GPA (if it is high enough to meet the job criteria).

As an experienced professional, your education takes less prominence.

Hiring managers are more interested in your work history and skills than your education. Yet, they still want to know about your educational qualifications to make sure you’re fit for the job.

Thus, you must place this section at the end of your resume or after your previous experience.

In general, you won’t need to include the classes you’ve taken in your education section — unless you’ve recently obtained your degree in a newer area.

Suppose you’ve built your base and have been working in your field for a number of years. The recruiter doesn’t need to check your education to see if you have an ability in the area.

Your work history does all that for you.

Your education section completes the story of your career and gives insight into who you are more than it does prove your potential impact.

The section below is a great resume example of a job-winning education section:

Recruiters look to your education to reference your ability to pick up new skills, meet deadlines, and apply yourself to new challenges.

The importance of your education changes as you progress throughout your career. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you have to take your education off to cut down on resume length .

Applying general tips such as being specific in the information you give helps increase the impact your education section has too.

To create a resume education section as clear and impactful as the examples you’ve seen above, you can utilize Enhancv’s resume builder . Check out some examples here for inspiration.

Tip: Struggling with how to convey your informal education to employers? Check out our post!

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